Pop Etc

In the midst of relocating from San Francisco to Brooklyn, slickly polished indie rock quartet the Morning Benders parted ways with bassist Tim Or and changed their name to Pop Etc. This decision came after the band toured extensively and learned that the word “bender” had some homophobic slang connotations in parts of the U.K. In a press release regarding the name change, the band stated “We simply cannot go on using a name that is demeaning to the gay community. The reason we are making music is to reach and unite as many different kinds of people as possible, and the idea that our name may be hateful towards anyone makes us sick.” Along with the name change, the move, and the reconfiguration of band members (bandleader Chris Chu stayed on with multi-instrumentalists Julian Harmon and brother Jon Chu),Pop Etc took on a drastically more radio-ready sound than the shimmery indie rock of the Morning Benders’ albums. A debut album was slated for summer release in 2012, with slick production by Lil Wayne and Kanye West producer Andrew Dawson as well as a collaborative production with Danger Mouse.